Sleaford Museum looks at town’s artists

According to Jan Spooner, from the museum, Mary Wedd (1844-1934) and her sister Emma (1848-1901) were brought up in one of the five large houses of Lafford Terrace.

They were artists who opened a School of Art in Duke Street, Sleaford.

A grand exhibition of their pupils' work was held each year in the Corn Exchange and in 1879 the school was recognised by the Government's Art and Science Department.

Robert Turner has loaned two of her paintings and is giving a talk about the building of the Roman Catholic Church on September 9 at 11am.

Another local artist of note was Charles Haselwood Shannon (1863-1937), second son of the Rector of Quarrington.

A talented lithographer he also taught himself to paint in the style of Reynolds and Titian and became well-known for his mesmerising portraits.

In 1925 he was re-hanging Miriam that he had lent to an exhibition in Lincoln, when he slipped and fell striking his head on a marble floor. This caused permanent brain damage and his possessions had to be sold to care for him until his death in1937.

The third artist is Robina Esme Roberts (1911-1995) who trained in Vienna and Munich.

In 1934 she was commissioned by the Port of London and produced posters promoting steam cruises - one of which is in the Transport Museum.

She married George Gordon Jeudwine in 1939 and they moved to Rauceby. Her work includes book covers, illustrations and Art Deco designs and Sleaford Museum’s display has many original pieces of Esme's work on show.

​The museum will be open on Saturdays from 10am-3pm and Sundays from 1.30-3.30pm of both weekends.